Eli Stone s01e05 Episode Script
One More Try
Previously on "Eli Stone" I just stopped by to tell you that I'm going to the apartment on thursday to pick up my stuff.
I've always thought you were the future of this firm.
I just think the way I play the game has got to change.
You're so sure that breaking things off was the right thing to do.
Molokai, Hawaii Look at this place.
It's perfect, gorgeous.
It's everything I imagined.
It's hotter than the damned sun.
My arm hair just singed off.
Dave, Jen, enjoy your vacation! I hope the underwater camera works out.
Ah, what nice people.
ah, look at this place.
Have you ever seenan ocean like this? Yeah, in california.
It's the same ocean.
Yeah, I'm really glad we're doing this, Eli.
This is what they mean when they say "make every moment count.
" I mean, look at us.
Nine hours ago, we were at work, and now we're just-- getting heatstroke.
Don't get too excited.
We have work to do.
Maggie, where's our car? We'll walk.
Look it, it'll be fun.
we can take in the scenery.
I'm wearing a wool suit.
My internal organs are boiling in their own juices.
Oh, okay, I get it.
You're trying to tell me that you're-- hot!Hot, hot, hot, hot! How many times are you gonna burn your hand before you learn to take out the plate first? The system's worked for me for, like, 30 years, patti.
What's going on? Well, there are some rumors floating around that you're not gonna like.
Which do you want to hear first-- terrible rumor number one or terrible rumor number two? - Pick number one.
- I pick number two.
They're saying your win on the Wolverine S.
U.
V.
Case five years ago was overturned.
You're gonna have to retry it.
It's not gonna happen.
Posner took over the case once the appeal was filed.
He'll handle the retrial if it doesn't settle, which it will.
How can you be so sure? Jeffrey powell's been working on this case on contingency, as in unpaid, for the last five years.
Even self-righteous do-gooders need to eat.
Besides, this case was tried by old Eli.
Everyone around here knows I'm new Eli.
New Eli is no longer working on the side of evil.
I don't think new Eli understands how this place works.
As our senior partner is momentarily absent, let's turn our attention to mundane matters, such as the photocopy department reports paper usage down 8.
3% this month.
Explanations? It has to do with some green program.
I got, like, a million memos on it, which is kind of ironic.
but those memos were printed on recycled paper.
Ms.
Dekker, I applaud your willingness to aver what you no doubt perceive to be an inconvenient truth.
however, copying is a profit center for this firm, which charges clients a 35% markup.
more copies, people! Next item-- Mitchell vs.
Zyre Motors, incorporated.
Late last night, first district court of appeals overturned our victory.
Of course, you will once again take the lead on the Wolverine S.
U.
V.
Litigation, Mr.
Stone, and I will once again be second chair.
Oh, uh, sir, I don't think that, uh well, I'm-- I'm actually new Eli, and I think this is more of a case for old Eli.
Well, perhaps you two can have a conference call.
Old Eli is uniquely familiar with the Wolverine case.
He has a settlement conference with Jeffrey Powell in half an hour.
Jeffrey Powell? I-I've always wanted to meet-- uh, kick his ass, sir.
I'd like to help Mr.
Stone kick it.
Very well, Ms.
Dekker.
It'll do you some good to bill some real hours to a real client.
Sorry I'm late, but I had good reason-- excellent reason.
In fact, I was welcoming our new hires.
I'm pleased to introduce Keith Bennett.
And proving that nepotism and merit are not mutually exclusive my daughter Taylor Wethersby.
you joined the firm-- the firm where I work? Until last week, we were engaged.
In fact, we should probably talk about last week.
We slept together.
I don't need to talk about it.
Right, I can tell from the way you haven't returned my calls.
Were you calling to get back together, Eli? That's exactly whyI didn't call you back.
Plus you probably figured we'd just see each other at work.
Oh, don't read anything into it.
Right.
What other reason could you possibly have for suddenly leaving your firm of eight years and coming to work here with your ex-fiance? Get over yourself.
My father's been recruiting me to work here for years, okay? this firm needs a specialist in family law, and I happen to be a good one-- and excellent one.
in fact, W.
P.
K.
is damn lucky to have me.
Just I-I gotta Justone-- one second.
it's Keith, right? I'm Eli.
Well uh, welcome to the firm.
Donald, you know I'm not asking you.
I'm telling you.
showing up in my office at 9:30 A.
M.
It's sad, actually, how much you obviously still want me.
Bense, what is it? Just need a little face time with my favorite ex-boyfriend.
I'm your only ex-boyfriend.
You've been crying.
- Something happen at work? - It's nothing just my life completely falling apart.
Is the baby okay? Yeah, the baby's fine.
It's Donna.
She's having some sort of breakdown.
She's moved out.
But she's pregnant.
I know she's pregnant.
I was at the embryo transfer.
It's my egg, for god sakes.
I don't get it.
Is there someone else? Yes.
Jesus.
My former lesbian lover is now a heterosexual jesus freak.
she's seeking sole custody of the baby, Matt.
She's hired a lawyer.
Yeah? Well, so have you.
Mr Powell? Maggie Dekker.
I'm a big fan.
I wrote a paper during my second year of law school on your strategy in the Nuxoll class action.
This is a new trick-- trying to distract me with a sycophant.
It's like you can see right through me, Jeff.
Let me tell you something.
You're the worst kind of lawyer-- a hypocrite who pretends she cares for the common man while big business heats her pool.
Okay? Congratulations on the appeal.
You pulled a rabbit out.
But since we both know you're out of tricks-- you're the expert on tricks, Eli.
Jeff, we went over this five years ago.
My subpoena's still on the books, as is the court order granting my motion to compel.
What am I missing here? It's what I'm missing-- Stanley Lyme.
I can't find him, Jeff.
I'd have better luck finding W.
M.
D.
S in iraq.
- You could subpoena those, maybe.
- Who's Stanley Lyme? An engineer, worked for Zyre Motors-- one of 12 he wanted to depose, none of whom had anything of note to say.
Yes, but Stanley Lyme is the only one to conveniently disappear right before I could depose him.
Which wasn't my fault.
We're a law firm, not witness protection.
So instead of going on another fishing expedition, why don't we settle this and avoid repeating history? If you want to.
This is our number.
Just checking to see if the zeroes ever stop.
It's half what a jury will award Adam and Cori for lost income, pain and suffering, punitives.
I already won this once before.
What makes you think I won't again? Because this time the jury won't be shielded from the consequences of Zyre Motors' criminal negligence.
Wait.
What's he talking about? Five years ago, Adam Mitchell's injuries were so gruesome, Eli was able to convince the trial judge that the mere sight of them would prejudice a jury.
So they heard a dry recitation of Adam's testimony transcript.
But this time, the jury will hear Adam's story from Adam himself.
Nice to see you again, mr.
Stone.
You spend the night here? Posner told me to bill more hours, so I started looking for Lyme.
Not even Posner wants you to pad the bill looking for a witness that could help the other side.
We are legally obligated to find Stanley Lyme.
No, we are legally obligated to make a reasonable effort to find him, and I made it five years ago.
But I was thinking maybe he has friends, relatives.
I found them.
I asked.
Nothing.
There is actual work I need you to do for this case-- a case you volunteered for, remember? Wh-- that was before I knew we were working on the side of evil-- representing a company that manufactures an S.
U.
V.
That flips over, crippling people? There is no evidence that Zyre Motors was responsible for his accident, Maggie.
Look, just because adam mitchell's in a wheelchair, it doesn't make him a saint.
Either way, it's a yucky case.
It's "yucky"? Did you get your law degree by watching "legally blonde"a bunch of times? Well, if we have to try to win, I'm at least going to make sure we win by the rules.
I'm finding mr.
Lyme.
You know this won't make Jeffrey Powell like you, right? I don't really care if he likes me.
A little respect would be nice from both of you.
- Eli! - What? Brain aneurysm, remember? It was bad enough when Taylor was calling me 16 times a day.
Now she's workin' here, and you didn't stop it? Well, I didn't know, and besides, it's not like she consulted me before she took the job.
What do you want me to do, get her fired? Now that's good thinkin'.
I'll get you in with mr.
Wethersby.
Even if I could convince Jordan to fire his own daughter, I can't do that, 'cause last week, I-I sorta go on.
slept with her.
You fell off the wagon? How could you do that to me? I wasn't thinking of you at that particular moment! Well, thank god! Mr.
Posner, what a surprise to see you here.
How are you today, sir? Patricia.
You ready, mr.
Stone? We're due in court for opening statements in 20 minutes.
The baby was conceived using my client's egg.
How about we all agree this is something of a gray area and compromise? Jessica and Donna co-parent.
Ah, typical.
You ask us to concede everything we believe in, and you call it a compromise.
Not everything.
Donna's free to give up chicks for dudes.
In fact, on behalf of dudes everywhere, I welcome her endorsement.
In the absence of a formal surrogacy agreement, Donna has all the rights that naturally fall to a child's birth mother, including the right to protect that child from any and all influences she deems harmful.
I'm a harmful influence now? I need to protect my baby.
Our baby.
We're confident to let the judge decide that one.
I need your breasts.
Is this some sort of test to see how litigious I am? Because when it comes to sexual harassment, the answer is very.
Look, I'm representing a chick who's suing a chick who's represented by a chick, and I just found out the judge happens to be - a chick? - Exactly.
You know, if they were all black, I'd ask that Keith guy, but I really need a woman up there with me.
This is important.
And you couldn't have just said that? I thought I did.
Look, the client's an old friend.
We dated in college, and she's suing her ex-girlfriend for parental rights over their unborn fetus.
Your ex-girlfriend's a lesbian? Who isn't these days? Anyway, it's a family case.
That's your thing, and I could really use the help.
Besides, think about how crazy it's gonna drive Stone.
- All right, tell me about the case.
- Okay.
In one instant, a life can change.
They say a picture's worth a thousand words.
At the end of this trial, you will be asked to put a price tag on how much this young man's ability to walk is worth.
I hope you're prepared to do that.
Oh, it is wonderful dating in Miami.
All the single men under "The Golden Girls.
" It was a great show.
You're probably wondering what it has to do with this case.
Well, I'll tell you-- about as much as the footage Mr.
Powell just showed you.
That wasn't the S.
U.
V.
that Adam Mitchell was driving, and that wasn't Adam Mitchell driving it.
Oh, and Adam Mitchell's car never caught fire.
No, that was just a stunt to make you angry at my client.
Mr.
Powell said that at the end of that at the end the trial, you'll be asked to put a price tag on walking.
Anyone who looks at this trial fairly and objectively Mr.
Stone! Nothing further.
I need flip-flops to go to the men's room, and now now they're singing in court-- the one place that's been vision-free.
And what's this week's musical number? It's "One More Try" by guess who? George Michael? What are you, his comeback tour? Can we just proceed to the vision interpretation, please? "One More Try" ? Here you are, trying a case one more time.
Maybe God wants you to do things differently this time.
God could send down one of those pillar of fire thingies, I still couldn't drop the case.
Free will is what defines us, Eli.
Oh, really? 'Cause I don't feel like it was a choice to be a prophet, you know? Things were so much easier before.
I wasn't so confused all the time and morally conflicted and-- alone? Is this still about Taylor? She joined my firm.
Oh, that's why you're so crabby.
I miss her.
Seeing her every day is just gonna make it worse.
Eli, what you're going through is rough.
You shouldn't go through it alone if you don't have to.
Maybe "One More Try" is about her.
What is this, multiple choice? Dude, it's not like I have a copy of "prophecy for dummies" somewhere.
What do you think the visions are about? It was like a sign from God.
My first ultrasound, when I saw that tiny little heartbeat a small miracle was growing inside of me, and I I realized that I was going to be responsible for another person's soul, and I knew what I had to do.
Renounce the homosexual lifestyle? Objection to the term "lifestyle"-- it's prejudicial, close-minded and offensive.
It's nice to see you suddenly so supportive of the gay movement, Mr Dowd.
Now pipe down.
Well, I never considered myself gay.
I always thought that I would marry a man.
But, um, I fell in love with Jessica, and I thought I could love her enough to make myself something that I'm just not.
And how did you come to that realization? Well, after the ultrasound, I started going back to church.
After a few months and a whole lot of prayer, I knew what I had to do.
My family is speaking to me now.
They're welcoming me back home.
This is what I want.
This is what my baby needs.
You're carrying a fetus conceived with Jessica's egg, aren't you? Yes, but-- Were you infertile? Something wrong with your eggs? - No, nothing like that.
- Then I'm confused.
Why would you go through a costly and time-consuming procedure to carry someone else's baby, Miss Milton, if you didn't intend to co-parent? I was a different person then.
I wasn't myself.
You seem to have a relatively smart lawyer there.
I'm kind of surprised she hasn't told you that doesn't matter.
It was indescribable.
I could barely breathe.
The roof was crushed in, and it was pressing against my head.
And I felt like if I just let go, that it would all be over.
What kept you hanging on? My cell phone, funny enough.
It started ringing, and I couldn't reach it, but I could see Cori's number on the caller I.
D, and I knew that I had to hold on so that I could dance with her at our wedding.
According to the statement you gave the C.
H.
P.
Your S.
U.
V.
flipped when you swerved to avoid-- and-- and I'm quoting here-- "a metal object in the road.
" Yeah, that's right.
Where were you driving from at the time of the accident? Uh, deer hunter lodge.
I was having dinner with Cori.
You mean the deer hunter lodge and tavern, actually.
Did you consume alcohol that night? A few beers, but I-I wasn't drunk.
Right.
You only had "a few beers.
" Your wife called you on her cell.
Where was she? She was back at the lodge.
The lodge and tavern.
So you left without her? Cori and I-- we we had an argument, but it wasn't a big deal.
There must have been quite a few police and E.
M.
T.
people at the accident scene.
Any of them find the metal object that you say caused you to swerve? You would have to ask them.
Uh, I did.
I have affidavits from, uh, from every single police officer and E.
M.
T.
Who was at the accident scene, and none of them found that metal object.
- That's too bad.
- Objection-- facts not in evidence.
I agree, your honor.
That metal object is not in evidence.
So let me see if I have this straight, Mr.
Mitchell.
You had a few drinks, but you weren't drunk.
You left your fiancée alone in a bar after a fight that wasn't that bad, and you swerved to avoid a metal object that no one found.
That S.
U.
V.
was defective.
That is why it rolled over.
Yes, it rolled over, but that doesn't mean it was defective, sir, and it doesn't mean that your driving wasn't.
Oh, come on, Maggie.
Don't give me that look.
I was doing my job.
Well, I don't want to watch it.
I won't be in court tomorrow.
I'm gonna find Lyme.
Maybe he knows what's right.
I hope you're happy with yourself.
Do any women around here like me anymore? Where the hell am I? Hawaii, brah.
Hawaii? Eli? Eli? Eli, are you okay? You passed out on the bathroom floor.
I did? I'm calling your brother.
Uh, Taylor, Taylor, come in here.
Just please don't call Nate.
In fact, it would be very considerate of you to forget this ever happened.
What about the guy who dragged you out of the men's room? And the 50 or so lawyers, paralegals and assistants who saw him do it? I say I've been doing a cleanse, and I got light-headed.
What really happened, Eli? Normal stuff.
I-I-I walked in, and suddenly I was in Hawaii.
It's just like you to go on our honey moon without me.
Well, look on the bright side, you know? At least this isn't your problem anymore.
I want you to be my problem.
You joined the firm because of me? You make it sound pathetic.
I don't think it's pathetic to fight for something that's important to you-- something that's the most important.
I'm gonna be here every day, Eli, until you give us-- one more try.
Taylor, if you're free tomorrow night, uh, I think we're supposed to-- I mean, I-I'd like to, uh, talk things out Go for dinner together? I'd love that.
You've got to be kidding me.
Why are we only hearing about this alleged waiver now? It's unfair surprise.
These documents were never produced.
We just received Miss Benson's paperwork from the clinic yesterday, your honor.
Besides, this is a motion for injunctive relief, therefore no discovery, and therefore no obligation to produce.
"Donor hereby waives all parental rights and relinquishes" "all such duties to any child resulting from the fertilized human egg hereunder" I can see why you're poleaxed.
Miss Benson provided us with all her documents for review.
I assure you this waiver was not among them.
Nonetheless, she signed it.
Fair point.
Waiver's signed, waiver in.
What about visitation? I'll go to Ohio every other weekend.
I'll move there.
Come on.
Don't do this to yourself.
What do you mean? You might want to start considering the possibility that you won't be a part of the baby's life.
But you have other options, Jess.
You can have another baby with someone who loves you.
I'm not saying like a couple or anything I could just donate some of my boys.
Heck, if you want, I could even do it the old-fashioned way.
I'm truly selfless like that.
Matt beneath that frat boy exterior, you're actually very sweet.
You always were.
But I don't want just any baby.
I want the one I made with the woman I love.
Right.
It was devastating.
One minute we had our entire lives ahead of us, and the next I was changing out his catheter.
I gave up my career when we realized Adam would need round-the-clock care.
It must be hard.
We take it day by day.
Some days are better than others for Adam and for me.
How do you get through the bad days? I remember how close we came to not having any days, good or bad.
Adam testified that you tried calling him after he left the tavern? That's true.
Phone records indicate that you tried 7 times in 12 minutes.
I was worried about him.
I mean, clearly I had reason to be.
Yet you couldn't have known that he'd been in an accident.
We'd had a fight.
I wanted to make sure that he was okay.
Really?If my fiancée was calling me like that, I'd think it was pretty urgent.
Objection.
The witness testified that she was worried.
One phone call is worried, your honor.
Seven in a row is urgent.
Overruled.
But tread lightly, Mr.
Stone.
Mrs.
Mitchell, why was it so urgent that you get in touch with Adam? If he wasn't that drunk, he wasn't that angry, why were you so worried? I don't know.
I-- You don't know.
Yet you called him once, then again, then again, then again, then again-- Adam was angry, and he was on the road, and it was dark-- - And he'd had too much to drink? - Maybe.
Maybe he did.
Ah, I've been looking all over for you.
Bet you thought you could avoid me, but what you don't know is that no man on earth can hide from me.
I find people, and I don't just find any people.
I find people named Stanley Lyme.
Yes! No.
Well, kind of.
See, I found the next best thing.
I found out who Lyme met with right before he disappeared.
- Wanna know how? - No.
I called Zyre Motors and spoke to the head of H.
R.
I asked her when Stanley stopped working there.
She said the last day he worked at Zyre Motors was june 12th, which struck me as funny, 'cause I remember that on june 11th, someone here billed Zyre Motors 2 hours for "lemon reversal.
" - Maggie - don't you see? "Lemon" is Lyme! Someone here met with Lyme before he disappeared, and you know who it was? Martin Posner.
You know that? Well, why didn't you tell me? I told you I looked for Lyme.
I told you that further looking was a waste of time.
So you know Posner met with Lyme before he disappeared? What-- why didn't you do something? Such as what, convincing Posner to produce the witness as he went to the trouble of hiding in the first place? Well, what about doing what's right, what's required by law? Maggie, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but we work at Wethersby Posner & Klein.
We're the guys who beat upon paraplegics and their wives when we're not busy making sure satan's getting a break on his taxes.
If you think that, then why do you work here? I thought you had changed.
Why do you work here? I may be trying to change, and I might not be pulling it off lately, but at least I know what this place is.
Has it ever occurred to you you might be a better lawyer if you saw things how they are instead of how you wish they were? Maggie.
I know this is a strange question.
Like you ask any other kind.
Are you by any chance, uh, a member of a gospel choir? Why, yes, I am.
All black people are, particularly all black women.
We love to raise our hands and praise jesus ! You're being sarcastic now.
Not just now.
So you're not in a gospel choir with, say, a relative of a guy named Stanley Lyme who knows where Lyme went and why no one can find him? What is this about, Eli? I'm sorry.
I just Maggie's right.
I-I pretend to be this new guy, but, uh I'm still pond scum.
Old Eli reared his ugly heading court today, savaging a paraplegic victim's wife-- old Eli, who let martin posner hide a witness who just might make the plaintif's case.
I want to do the right thing, but I've waited five years to hear you say that.
Don't ask me why I know or how I know, but I know where Stanley Lyme is.
What? How? What did I just say? Now do you want to know where Lyme is or not? Get your stuff.
Meet me downstairs in ten minutes.
Our flight leaves in an hour.
Flight? You were right.
That's the last time I'm gonna say it, okay? I was just thinking about where we should what is it? I'm sorry.
I have to work tonight-- the Zyre Motors trial.
You know, I wouldn't cancel unless it was absolutely necessary.
Eli, should I pack an overnight bag? I totally understand.
don't work too hard.
Taylor ? So no overnight bag? Still here? I haven't found anything that trumps the waiver jess signed yet.
Nothing proving Donna intended to stay with Jessica? I've learned more about lesbian love than I ever cared to know.
And believe me when I tell you that's a high bar.
hey, you want to grab a drink? So Stone's out and Dowd's in, huh? All right.
Let me clear off the desk.
You're not really this much of a pig.
No, I am.
The only woman I wasn't like this with was jess.
Pathetic, I know.
No, it's not pathetic.
I know a thing or two about wanting what you can't have.
You know, if I didn't know him any better, I'd never believe Stone could be dumb enough to let you go.
He hasn't.
I mean I mean, we're-- you know, we're still working things out.
- right.
Well, let me tell ya - thanks.
The only thing worse than losing the love of your life is having her find the love of hers.
You're a therapist when she's happy, a relationship coach when they fight a cameraman when they throw a party.
Did you record the shower? It was a party full of lesbians.
There was no way I wasn't going to record it.
Matt, you gotta get me that tape.
Okay, so we know he owns a surf shack, right? Uh, so maybe we can narrow down the candidates by posing as surf journalists and-- the town's about a block long, veronica mars.
If you're so smart, you find it.
What? Am I missing something? I thought the whole point of me disappearing was that you guys wouldn't, you know, appear.
Yes, but I recently located my professional conscience.
Well, mazel tov, but that's you.
For me, disappearing wasn't about conscience.
It was about survival.
Zyre Motors put out a hit on you? Just ignore her.
You ever see "the insider"? That's actually a pretty accurate depiction of what happens to whistle-blowers in this country.
Doing that R.
P.
E.
Was the biggest mistake I ever made.
What's an R.
P.
E.
? Rollover propensity evaluation.
What did you test? Zyre Motors always tested their S.
U.
V.
S' static stability factor-- that's its risk of rollover-- using cars with optimal tire pressure.
But tires lose their air pressure, right? And-- and you told Zyre Motors about this? Wrote up a full report to mr.
Reidy himself.
He buried it.
A few months later, I get paid a visit from a partner in your firm.
He's got a check for $2 million dollars, and a few suggestions about how I might want to spend it.
I'm really sorry you guys came all this way, but I-I won't testify.
Got a whole new life now, and I'm not risking it by saying so in open court.
It's all right, mr.
Lyme.
- You don't have to.
- What? wrote up a full report to mr.
Reidy himself.
He buried it.
A few months later, I get paid a visit from a partner in your firm.
He's got a check for $2 million and a few suggestions about how I might want to spend it.
well, I suppose I have two reactions.
First is, you're fired.
I don't care what piece of paper jordan signed.
Second is, we have nothing to worry about.
This is hearsay.
It's inadmissible.
You can't fire me for discharging an ethical and legal obligation pursuant to a valid subpoena and motion to compel.
As for the hearsay issue, out-of-court statements can be admissible where the witness is unavailable, and we probably don't want to invite an investigation as to why mr.
Lyme is unavailable.
You're not really blackmailing a partner of this firm and one of its clients? "Blackmail"is an ugly word, sir.
I think a better term, and for all our sakes, a more accurate one, is "limitation of liability.
" You have exposure here.
Zyre Motors has exposure, and I am suggesting a way to limit that exposure-- specifically, we settle, preferably by offering an amount so substantial that the plaintiffs have no choice but to accept, thus making sure certain questions don't get asked.
Or you can throw that recorder in the trash.
I doubt I'll be doing that, sir.
thank you all so much for coming to our egg party, especially those who made this joyous occasion possible, but mostly to Jessica, for giving me the most precious of gifts-- literally a piece of herself.
honey, I want you to know you will always have my heart.
this was shot after miss Milton testified that she had gone back to church, after she claims that she was having doubts about her relationship.
Seems to me you've got two choices here, your honor-- give my client equal parental rights or give miss Milton an Oscar.
this isn't over yet.
Jeez, Jeff, can I at least get the offer out before you reject it? This is what our clientis prepared to settle for.
$5 million.
Sealed.
We can wire the money today.
Trial's not going that bad for you.
Something's got you spooked.
You wish.
No, miss dekker here prevqiled upon Zyre Motors to do the right thing.
She can be very persistent.
Miss Dekker, if you ever decide to leave this insidious institution thanks, but, um on wednesdays, they give us muffins.
Looks like we've got a deal.
But I will draft the settlement papers.
Jeff, are you ever gonna trust me? Muffins? Well, you wanted to know why I work here.
There you go.
It's all about the muffins.
You did this.
Don't bother denying it.
I know it was you.
You know what was me? Do not insult my considerable intelligence, Patricia.
You told Stone where to find the engineer.
Haven't you punished me enough? You've barely acknowledged my existence in five years.
You do realize it's been it's been five years since you broke up with me? It's also been five years since Eli tried this case for the first time.
You ended things between us because of this case? Because of what you did in his case.
And I let you, because I was falling for you.
So I looked the other way.
Well now that it's behind us do you think there's a chance we could give this us one more try? I'm sorry, Martin.
I don't.
all rise.
The law is clear.
The waiver is legally binding, and the exceptions don't apply in this case.
But thespirit of those exceptions-- that the parties' true intentions be honored-- does.
Accordingly, I find that the intention of this couple was to co-parent their baby and therefore grant ms.
Benson's petition for joint custody.
I'm, uh, further enjoining ms.
Milton from leaving the bay area.
we're adjourned.
donna I talked it over with my family and our minister, and we all agreed that if this happened it would be best that after the birth, I just go back home to ohio.
- You mean- - you can have him.
I won't contact you again.
"Him"? it's a boy.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
That thing with Maggie wasn't what it looked like.
At least we're acknowledging what it looked like.
I guess it wouldn't help if I said I'd sooner pull out my nostril hair than spend six hours on a plane with Maggie.
Pull out your nostril hair? Really? It's not important.
I should never have come to work here.
- We'll figure it out.
- Will we? Will I ever really be able to make you happy, Eli? Eli, Jordan wants to see you.
He says it won't wait.
congratulations, Stone.
You wanted to see me? Morton Reidy, C.
E.
O.
of Zyre Motors-- you know, the man you extorted into settling-- filed a grievance with the state bar.
He couldn't do that without admitting he paid off a witness.
You're assuming the grievance was related to Stanley Lyme.
Your literal song and dance in open court was the basis for his complaint, calling into question your fitness to practice law.
I'm not gonna like where this is going, am I? The bar appointed a prosecutor who's learned the Zyre motor trial wasn't your only incident.
She's recommended they initiate disbarment proceedings against you, Eli.
I've always thought you were the future of this firm.
I just think the way I play the game has got to change.
You're so sure that breaking things off was the right thing to do.
Molokai, Hawaii Look at this place.
It's perfect, gorgeous.
It's everything I imagined.
It's hotter than the damned sun.
My arm hair just singed off.
Dave, Jen, enjoy your vacation! I hope the underwater camera works out.
Ah, what nice people.
ah, look at this place.
Have you ever seenan ocean like this? Yeah, in california.
It's the same ocean.
Yeah, I'm really glad we're doing this, Eli.
This is what they mean when they say "make every moment count.
" I mean, look at us.
Nine hours ago, we were at work, and now we're just-- getting heatstroke.
Don't get too excited.
We have work to do.
Maggie, where's our car? We'll walk.
Look it, it'll be fun.
we can take in the scenery.
I'm wearing a wool suit.
My internal organs are boiling in their own juices.
Oh, okay, I get it.
You're trying to tell me that you're-- hot!Hot, hot, hot, hot! How many times are you gonna burn your hand before you learn to take out the plate first? The system's worked for me for, like, 30 years, patti.
What's going on? Well, there are some rumors floating around that you're not gonna like.
Which do you want to hear first-- terrible rumor number one or terrible rumor number two? - Pick number one.
- I pick number two.
They're saying your win on the Wolverine S.
U.
V.
Case five years ago was overturned.
You're gonna have to retry it.
It's not gonna happen.
Posner took over the case once the appeal was filed.
He'll handle the retrial if it doesn't settle, which it will.
How can you be so sure? Jeffrey powell's been working on this case on contingency, as in unpaid, for the last five years.
Even self-righteous do-gooders need to eat.
Besides, this case was tried by old Eli.
Everyone around here knows I'm new Eli.
New Eli is no longer working on the side of evil.
I don't think new Eli understands how this place works.
As our senior partner is momentarily absent, let's turn our attention to mundane matters, such as the photocopy department reports paper usage down 8.
3% this month.
Explanations? It has to do with some green program.
I got, like, a million memos on it, which is kind of ironic.
but those memos were printed on recycled paper.
Ms.
Dekker, I applaud your willingness to aver what you no doubt perceive to be an inconvenient truth.
however, copying is a profit center for this firm, which charges clients a 35% markup.
more copies, people! Next item-- Mitchell vs.
Zyre Motors, incorporated.
Late last night, first district court of appeals overturned our victory.
Of course, you will once again take the lead on the Wolverine S.
U.
V.
Litigation, Mr.
Stone, and I will once again be second chair.
Oh, uh, sir, I don't think that, uh well, I'm-- I'm actually new Eli, and I think this is more of a case for old Eli.
Well, perhaps you two can have a conference call.
Old Eli is uniquely familiar with the Wolverine case.
He has a settlement conference with Jeffrey Powell in half an hour.
Jeffrey Powell? I-I've always wanted to meet-- uh, kick his ass, sir.
I'd like to help Mr.
Stone kick it.
Very well, Ms.
Dekker.
It'll do you some good to bill some real hours to a real client.
Sorry I'm late, but I had good reason-- excellent reason.
In fact, I was welcoming our new hires.
I'm pleased to introduce Keith Bennett.
And proving that nepotism and merit are not mutually exclusive my daughter Taylor Wethersby.
you joined the firm-- the firm where I work? Until last week, we were engaged.
In fact, we should probably talk about last week.
We slept together.
I don't need to talk about it.
Right, I can tell from the way you haven't returned my calls.
Were you calling to get back together, Eli? That's exactly whyI didn't call you back.
Plus you probably figured we'd just see each other at work.
Oh, don't read anything into it.
Right.
What other reason could you possibly have for suddenly leaving your firm of eight years and coming to work here with your ex-fiance? Get over yourself.
My father's been recruiting me to work here for years, okay? this firm needs a specialist in family law, and I happen to be a good one-- and excellent one.
in fact, W.
P.
K.
is damn lucky to have me.
Just I-I gotta Justone-- one second.
it's Keith, right? I'm Eli.
Well uh, welcome to the firm.
Donald, you know I'm not asking you.
I'm telling you.
showing up in my office at 9:30 A.
M.
It's sad, actually, how much you obviously still want me.
Bense, what is it? Just need a little face time with my favorite ex-boyfriend.
I'm your only ex-boyfriend.
You've been crying.
- Something happen at work? - It's nothing just my life completely falling apart.
Is the baby okay? Yeah, the baby's fine.
It's Donna.
She's having some sort of breakdown.
She's moved out.
But she's pregnant.
I know she's pregnant.
I was at the embryo transfer.
It's my egg, for god sakes.
I don't get it.
Is there someone else? Yes.
Jesus.
My former lesbian lover is now a heterosexual jesus freak.
she's seeking sole custody of the baby, Matt.
She's hired a lawyer.
Yeah? Well, so have you.
Mr Powell? Maggie Dekker.
I'm a big fan.
I wrote a paper during my second year of law school on your strategy in the Nuxoll class action.
This is a new trick-- trying to distract me with a sycophant.
It's like you can see right through me, Jeff.
Let me tell you something.
You're the worst kind of lawyer-- a hypocrite who pretends she cares for the common man while big business heats her pool.
Okay? Congratulations on the appeal.
You pulled a rabbit out.
But since we both know you're out of tricks-- you're the expert on tricks, Eli.
Jeff, we went over this five years ago.
My subpoena's still on the books, as is the court order granting my motion to compel.
What am I missing here? It's what I'm missing-- Stanley Lyme.
I can't find him, Jeff.
I'd have better luck finding W.
M.
D.
S in iraq.
- You could subpoena those, maybe.
- Who's Stanley Lyme? An engineer, worked for Zyre Motors-- one of 12 he wanted to depose, none of whom had anything of note to say.
Yes, but Stanley Lyme is the only one to conveniently disappear right before I could depose him.
Which wasn't my fault.
We're a law firm, not witness protection.
So instead of going on another fishing expedition, why don't we settle this and avoid repeating history? If you want to.
This is our number.
Just checking to see if the zeroes ever stop.
It's half what a jury will award Adam and Cori for lost income, pain and suffering, punitives.
I already won this once before.
What makes you think I won't again? Because this time the jury won't be shielded from the consequences of Zyre Motors' criminal negligence.
Wait.
What's he talking about? Five years ago, Adam Mitchell's injuries were so gruesome, Eli was able to convince the trial judge that the mere sight of them would prejudice a jury.
So they heard a dry recitation of Adam's testimony transcript.
But this time, the jury will hear Adam's story from Adam himself.
Nice to see you again, mr.
Stone.
You spend the night here? Posner told me to bill more hours, so I started looking for Lyme.
Not even Posner wants you to pad the bill looking for a witness that could help the other side.
We are legally obligated to find Stanley Lyme.
No, we are legally obligated to make a reasonable effort to find him, and I made it five years ago.
But I was thinking maybe he has friends, relatives.
I found them.
I asked.
Nothing.
There is actual work I need you to do for this case-- a case you volunteered for, remember? Wh-- that was before I knew we were working on the side of evil-- representing a company that manufactures an S.
U.
V.
That flips over, crippling people? There is no evidence that Zyre Motors was responsible for his accident, Maggie.
Look, just because adam mitchell's in a wheelchair, it doesn't make him a saint.
Either way, it's a yucky case.
It's "yucky"? Did you get your law degree by watching "legally blonde"a bunch of times? Well, if we have to try to win, I'm at least going to make sure we win by the rules.
I'm finding mr.
Lyme.
You know this won't make Jeffrey Powell like you, right? I don't really care if he likes me.
A little respect would be nice from both of you.
- Eli! - What? Brain aneurysm, remember? It was bad enough when Taylor was calling me 16 times a day.
Now she's workin' here, and you didn't stop it? Well, I didn't know, and besides, it's not like she consulted me before she took the job.
What do you want me to do, get her fired? Now that's good thinkin'.
I'll get you in with mr.
Wethersby.
Even if I could convince Jordan to fire his own daughter, I can't do that, 'cause last week, I-I sorta go on.
slept with her.
You fell off the wagon? How could you do that to me? I wasn't thinking of you at that particular moment! Well, thank god! Mr.
Posner, what a surprise to see you here.
How are you today, sir? Patricia.
You ready, mr.
Stone? We're due in court for opening statements in 20 minutes.
The baby was conceived using my client's egg.
How about we all agree this is something of a gray area and compromise? Jessica and Donna co-parent.
Ah, typical.
You ask us to concede everything we believe in, and you call it a compromise.
Not everything.
Donna's free to give up chicks for dudes.
In fact, on behalf of dudes everywhere, I welcome her endorsement.
In the absence of a formal surrogacy agreement, Donna has all the rights that naturally fall to a child's birth mother, including the right to protect that child from any and all influences she deems harmful.
I'm a harmful influence now? I need to protect my baby.
Our baby.
We're confident to let the judge decide that one.
I need your breasts.
Is this some sort of test to see how litigious I am? Because when it comes to sexual harassment, the answer is very.
Look, I'm representing a chick who's suing a chick who's represented by a chick, and I just found out the judge happens to be - a chick? - Exactly.
You know, if they were all black, I'd ask that Keith guy, but I really need a woman up there with me.
This is important.
And you couldn't have just said that? I thought I did.
Look, the client's an old friend.
We dated in college, and she's suing her ex-girlfriend for parental rights over their unborn fetus.
Your ex-girlfriend's a lesbian? Who isn't these days? Anyway, it's a family case.
That's your thing, and I could really use the help.
Besides, think about how crazy it's gonna drive Stone.
- All right, tell me about the case.
- Okay.
In one instant, a life can change.
They say a picture's worth a thousand words.
At the end of this trial, you will be asked to put a price tag on how much this young man's ability to walk is worth.
I hope you're prepared to do that.
Oh, it is wonderful dating in Miami.
All the single men under "The Golden Girls.
" It was a great show.
You're probably wondering what it has to do with this case.
Well, I'll tell you-- about as much as the footage Mr.
Powell just showed you.
That wasn't the S.
U.
V.
that Adam Mitchell was driving, and that wasn't Adam Mitchell driving it.
Oh, and Adam Mitchell's car never caught fire.
No, that was just a stunt to make you angry at my client.
Mr.
Powell said that at the end of that at the end the trial, you'll be asked to put a price tag on walking.
Anyone who looks at this trial fairly and objectively Mr.
Stone! Nothing further.
I need flip-flops to go to the men's room, and now now they're singing in court-- the one place that's been vision-free.
And what's this week's musical number? It's "One More Try" by guess who? George Michael? What are you, his comeback tour? Can we just proceed to the vision interpretation, please? "One More Try" ? Here you are, trying a case one more time.
Maybe God wants you to do things differently this time.
God could send down one of those pillar of fire thingies, I still couldn't drop the case.
Free will is what defines us, Eli.
Oh, really? 'Cause I don't feel like it was a choice to be a prophet, you know? Things were so much easier before.
I wasn't so confused all the time and morally conflicted and-- alone? Is this still about Taylor? She joined my firm.
Oh, that's why you're so crabby.
I miss her.
Seeing her every day is just gonna make it worse.
Eli, what you're going through is rough.
You shouldn't go through it alone if you don't have to.
Maybe "One More Try" is about her.
What is this, multiple choice? Dude, it's not like I have a copy of "prophecy for dummies" somewhere.
What do you think the visions are about? It was like a sign from God.
My first ultrasound, when I saw that tiny little heartbeat a small miracle was growing inside of me, and I I realized that I was going to be responsible for another person's soul, and I knew what I had to do.
Renounce the homosexual lifestyle? Objection to the term "lifestyle"-- it's prejudicial, close-minded and offensive.
It's nice to see you suddenly so supportive of the gay movement, Mr Dowd.
Now pipe down.
Well, I never considered myself gay.
I always thought that I would marry a man.
But, um, I fell in love with Jessica, and I thought I could love her enough to make myself something that I'm just not.
And how did you come to that realization? Well, after the ultrasound, I started going back to church.
After a few months and a whole lot of prayer, I knew what I had to do.
My family is speaking to me now.
They're welcoming me back home.
This is what I want.
This is what my baby needs.
You're carrying a fetus conceived with Jessica's egg, aren't you? Yes, but-- Were you infertile? Something wrong with your eggs? - No, nothing like that.
- Then I'm confused.
Why would you go through a costly and time-consuming procedure to carry someone else's baby, Miss Milton, if you didn't intend to co-parent? I was a different person then.
I wasn't myself.
You seem to have a relatively smart lawyer there.
I'm kind of surprised she hasn't told you that doesn't matter.
It was indescribable.
I could barely breathe.
The roof was crushed in, and it was pressing against my head.
And I felt like if I just let go, that it would all be over.
What kept you hanging on? My cell phone, funny enough.
It started ringing, and I couldn't reach it, but I could see Cori's number on the caller I.
D, and I knew that I had to hold on so that I could dance with her at our wedding.
According to the statement you gave the C.
H.
P.
Your S.
U.
V.
flipped when you swerved to avoid-- and-- and I'm quoting here-- "a metal object in the road.
" Yeah, that's right.
Where were you driving from at the time of the accident? Uh, deer hunter lodge.
I was having dinner with Cori.
You mean the deer hunter lodge and tavern, actually.
Did you consume alcohol that night? A few beers, but I-I wasn't drunk.
Right.
You only had "a few beers.
" Your wife called you on her cell.
Where was she? She was back at the lodge.
The lodge and tavern.
So you left without her? Cori and I-- we we had an argument, but it wasn't a big deal.
There must have been quite a few police and E.
M.
T.
people at the accident scene.
Any of them find the metal object that you say caused you to swerve? You would have to ask them.
Uh, I did.
I have affidavits from, uh, from every single police officer and E.
M.
T.
Who was at the accident scene, and none of them found that metal object.
- That's too bad.
- Objection-- facts not in evidence.
I agree, your honor.
That metal object is not in evidence.
So let me see if I have this straight, Mr.
Mitchell.
You had a few drinks, but you weren't drunk.
You left your fiancée alone in a bar after a fight that wasn't that bad, and you swerved to avoid a metal object that no one found.
That S.
U.
V.
was defective.
That is why it rolled over.
Yes, it rolled over, but that doesn't mean it was defective, sir, and it doesn't mean that your driving wasn't.
Oh, come on, Maggie.
Don't give me that look.
I was doing my job.
Well, I don't want to watch it.
I won't be in court tomorrow.
I'm gonna find Lyme.
Maybe he knows what's right.
I hope you're happy with yourself.
Do any women around here like me anymore? Where the hell am I? Hawaii, brah.
Hawaii? Eli? Eli? Eli, are you okay? You passed out on the bathroom floor.
I did? I'm calling your brother.
Uh, Taylor, Taylor, come in here.
Just please don't call Nate.
In fact, it would be very considerate of you to forget this ever happened.
What about the guy who dragged you out of the men's room? And the 50 or so lawyers, paralegals and assistants who saw him do it? I say I've been doing a cleanse, and I got light-headed.
What really happened, Eli? Normal stuff.
I-I-I walked in, and suddenly I was in Hawaii.
It's just like you to go on our honey moon without me.
Well, look on the bright side, you know? At least this isn't your problem anymore.
I want you to be my problem.
You joined the firm because of me? You make it sound pathetic.
I don't think it's pathetic to fight for something that's important to you-- something that's the most important.
I'm gonna be here every day, Eli, until you give us-- one more try.
Taylor, if you're free tomorrow night, uh, I think we're supposed to-- I mean, I-I'd like to, uh, talk things out Go for dinner together? I'd love that.
You've got to be kidding me.
Why are we only hearing about this alleged waiver now? It's unfair surprise.
These documents were never produced.
We just received Miss Benson's paperwork from the clinic yesterday, your honor.
Besides, this is a motion for injunctive relief, therefore no discovery, and therefore no obligation to produce.
"Donor hereby waives all parental rights and relinquishes" "all such duties to any child resulting from the fertilized human egg hereunder" I can see why you're poleaxed.
Miss Benson provided us with all her documents for review.
I assure you this waiver was not among them.
Nonetheless, she signed it.
Fair point.
Waiver's signed, waiver in.
What about visitation? I'll go to Ohio every other weekend.
I'll move there.
Come on.
Don't do this to yourself.
What do you mean? You might want to start considering the possibility that you won't be a part of the baby's life.
But you have other options, Jess.
You can have another baby with someone who loves you.
I'm not saying like a couple or anything I could just donate some of my boys.
Heck, if you want, I could even do it the old-fashioned way.
I'm truly selfless like that.
Matt beneath that frat boy exterior, you're actually very sweet.
You always were.
But I don't want just any baby.
I want the one I made with the woman I love.
Right.
It was devastating.
One minute we had our entire lives ahead of us, and the next I was changing out his catheter.
I gave up my career when we realized Adam would need round-the-clock care.
It must be hard.
We take it day by day.
Some days are better than others for Adam and for me.
How do you get through the bad days? I remember how close we came to not having any days, good or bad.
Adam testified that you tried calling him after he left the tavern? That's true.
Phone records indicate that you tried 7 times in 12 minutes.
I was worried about him.
I mean, clearly I had reason to be.
Yet you couldn't have known that he'd been in an accident.
We'd had a fight.
I wanted to make sure that he was okay.
Really?If my fiancée was calling me like that, I'd think it was pretty urgent.
Objection.
The witness testified that she was worried.
One phone call is worried, your honor.
Seven in a row is urgent.
Overruled.
But tread lightly, Mr.
Stone.
Mrs.
Mitchell, why was it so urgent that you get in touch with Adam? If he wasn't that drunk, he wasn't that angry, why were you so worried? I don't know.
I-- You don't know.
Yet you called him once, then again, then again, then again, then again-- Adam was angry, and he was on the road, and it was dark-- - And he'd had too much to drink? - Maybe.
Maybe he did.
Ah, I've been looking all over for you.
Bet you thought you could avoid me, but what you don't know is that no man on earth can hide from me.
I find people, and I don't just find any people.
I find people named Stanley Lyme.
Yes! No.
Well, kind of.
See, I found the next best thing.
I found out who Lyme met with right before he disappeared.
- Wanna know how? - No.
I called Zyre Motors and spoke to the head of H.
R.
I asked her when Stanley stopped working there.
She said the last day he worked at Zyre Motors was june 12th, which struck me as funny, 'cause I remember that on june 11th, someone here billed Zyre Motors 2 hours for "lemon reversal.
" - Maggie - don't you see? "Lemon" is Lyme! Someone here met with Lyme before he disappeared, and you know who it was? Martin Posner.
You know that? Well, why didn't you tell me? I told you I looked for Lyme.
I told you that further looking was a waste of time.
So you know Posner met with Lyme before he disappeared? What-- why didn't you do something? Such as what, convincing Posner to produce the witness as he went to the trouble of hiding in the first place? Well, what about doing what's right, what's required by law? Maggie, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but we work at Wethersby Posner & Klein.
We're the guys who beat upon paraplegics and their wives when we're not busy making sure satan's getting a break on his taxes.
If you think that, then why do you work here? I thought you had changed.
Why do you work here? I may be trying to change, and I might not be pulling it off lately, but at least I know what this place is.
Has it ever occurred to you you might be a better lawyer if you saw things how they are instead of how you wish they were? Maggie.
I know this is a strange question.
Like you ask any other kind.
Are you by any chance, uh, a member of a gospel choir? Why, yes, I am.
All black people are, particularly all black women.
We love to raise our hands and praise jesus ! You're being sarcastic now.
Not just now.
So you're not in a gospel choir with, say, a relative of a guy named Stanley Lyme who knows where Lyme went and why no one can find him? What is this about, Eli? I'm sorry.
I just Maggie's right.
I-I pretend to be this new guy, but, uh I'm still pond scum.
Old Eli reared his ugly heading court today, savaging a paraplegic victim's wife-- old Eli, who let martin posner hide a witness who just might make the plaintif's case.
I want to do the right thing, but I've waited five years to hear you say that.
Don't ask me why I know or how I know, but I know where Stanley Lyme is.
What? How? What did I just say? Now do you want to know where Lyme is or not? Get your stuff.
Meet me downstairs in ten minutes.
Our flight leaves in an hour.
Flight? You were right.
That's the last time I'm gonna say it, okay? I was just thinking about where we should what is it? I'm sorry.
I have to work tonight-- the Zyre Motors trial.
You know, I wouldn't cancel unless it was absolutely necessary.
Eli, should I pack an overnight bag? I totally understand.
don't work too hard.
Taylor ? So no overnight bag? Still here? I haven't found anything that trumps the waiver jess signed yet.
Nothing proving Donna intended to stay with Jessica? I've learned more about lesbian love than I ever cared to know.
And believe me when I tell you that's a high bar.
hey, you want to grab a drink? So Stone's out and Dowd's in, huh? All right.
Let me clear off the desk.
You're not really this much of a pig.
No, I am.
The only woman I wasn't like this with was jess.
Pathetic, I know.
No, it's not pathetic.
I know a thing or two about wanting what you can't have.
You know, if I didn't know him any better, I'd never believe Stone could be dumb enough to let you go.
He hasn't.
I mean I mean, we're-- you know, we're still working things out.
- right.
Well, let me tell ya - thanks.
The only thing worse than losing the love of your life is having her find the love of hers.
You're a therapist when she's happy, a relationship coach when they fight a cameraman when they throw a party.
Did you record the shower? It was a party full of lesbians.
There was no way I wasn't going to record it.
Matt, you gotta get me that tape.
Okay, so we know he owns a surf shack, right? Uh, so maybe we can narrow down the candidates by posing as surf journalists and-- the town's about a block long, veronica mars.
If you're so smart, you find it.
What? Am I missing something? I thought the whole point of me disappearing was that you guys wouldn't, you know, appear.
Yes, but I recently located my professional conscience.
Well, mazel tov, but that's you.
For me, disappearing wasn't about conscience.
It was about survival.
Zyre Motors put out a hit on you? Just ignore her.
You ever see "the insider"? That's actually a pretty accurate depiction of what happens to whistle-blowers in this country.
Doing that R.
P.
E.
Was the biggest mistake I ever made.
What's an R.
P.
E.
? Rollover propensity evaluation.
What did you test? Zyre Motors always tested their S.
U.
V.
S' static stability factor-- that's its risk of rollover-- using cars with optimal tire pressure.
But tires lose their air pressure, right? And-- and you told Zyre Motors about this? Wrote up a full report to mr.
Reidy himself.
He buried it.
A few months later, I get paid a visit from a partner in your firm.
He's got a check for $2 million dollars, and a few suggestions about how I might want to spend it.
I'm really sorry you guys came all this way, but I-I won't testify.
Got a whole new life now, and I'm not risking it by saying so in open court.
It's all right, mr.
Lyme.
- You don't have to.
- What? wrote up a full report to mr.
Reidy himself.
He buried it.
A few months later, I get paid a visit from a partner in your firm.
He's got a check for $2 million and a few suggestions about how I might want to spend it.
well, I suppose I have two reactions.
First is, you're fired.
I don't care what piece of paper jordan signed.
Second is, we have nothing to worry about.
This is hearsay.
It's inadmissible.
You can't fire me for discharging an ethical and legal obligation pursuant to a valid subpoena and motion to compel.
As for the hearsay issue, out-of-court statements can be admissible where the witness is unavailable, and we probably don't want to invite an investigation as to why mr.
Lyme is unavailable.
You're not really blackmailing a partner of this firm and one of its clients? "Blackmail"is an ugly word, sir.
I think a better term, and for all our sakes, a more accurate one, is "limitation of liability.
" You have exposure here.
Zyre Motors has exposure, and I am suggesting a way to limit that exposure-- specifically, we settle, preferably by offering an amount so substantial that the plaintiffs have no choice but to accept, thus making sure certain questions don't get asked.
Or you can throw that recorder in the trash.
I doubt I'll be doing that, sir.
thank you all so much for coming to our egg party, especially those who made this joyous occasion possible, but mostly to Jessica, for giving me the most precious of gifts-- literally a piece of herself.
honey, I want you to know you will always have my heart.
this was shot after miss Milton testified that she had gone back to church, after she claims that she was having doubts about her relationship.
Seems to me you've got two choices here, your honor-- give my client equal parental rights or give miss Milton an Oscar.
this isn't over yet.
Jeez, Jeff, can I at least get the offer out before you reject it? This is what our clientis prepared to settle for.
$5 million.
Sealed.
We can wire the money today.
Trial's not going that bad for you.
Something's got you spooked.
You wish.
No, miss dekker here prevqiled upon Zyre Motors to do the right thing.
She can be very persistent.
Miss Dekker, if you ever decide to leave this insidious institution thanks, but, um on wednesdays, they give us muffins.
Looks like we've got a deal.
But I will draft the settlement papers.
Jeff, are you ever gonna trust me? Muffins? Well, you wanted to know why I work here.
There you go.
It's all about the muffins.
You did this.
Don't bother denying it.
I know it was you.
You know what was me? Do not insult my considerable intelligence, Patricia.
You told Stone where to find the engineer.
Haven't you punished me enough? You've barely acknowledged my existence in five years.
You do realize it's been it's been five years since you broke up with me? It's also been five years since Eli tried this case for the first time.
You ended things between us because of this case? Because of what you did in his case.
And I let you, because I was falling for you.
So I looked the other way.
Well now that it's behind us do you think there's a chance we could give this us one more try? I'm sorry, Martin.
I don't.
all rise.
The law is clear.
The waiver is legally binding, and the exceptions don't apply in this case.
But thespirit of those exceptions-- that the parties' true intentions be honored-- does.
Accordingly, I find that the intention of this couple was to co-parent their baby and therefore grant ms.
Benson's petition for joint custody.
I'm, uh, further enjoining ms.
Milton from leaving the bay area.
we're adjourned.
donna I talked it over with my family and our minister, and we all agreed that if this happened it would be best that after the birth, I just go back home to ohio.
- You mean- - you can have him.
I won't contact you again.
"Him"? it's a boy.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
That thing with Maggie wasn't what it looked like.
At least we're acknowledging what it looked like.
I guess it wouldn't help if I said I'd sooner pull out my nostril hair than spend six hours on a plane with Maggie.
Pull out your nostril hair? Really? It's not important.
I should never have come to work here.
- We'll figure it out.
- Will we? Will I ever really be able to make you happy, Eli? Eli, Jordan wants to see you.
He says it won't wait.
congratulations, Stone.
You wanted to see me? Morton Reidy, C.
E.
O.
of Zyre Motors-- you know, the man you extorted into settling-- filed a grievance with the state bar.
He couldn't do that without admitting he paid off a witness.
You're assuming the grievance was related to Stanley Lyme.
Your literal song and dance in open court was the basis for his complaint, calling into question your fitness to practice law.
I'm not gonna like where this is going, am I? The bar appointed a prosecutor who's learned the Zyre motor trial wasn't your only incident.
She's recommended they initiate disbarment proceedings against you, Eli.